Ban Bat (, , ; also spelled Banbatt) is one of the five sub-districts (''

khwaeng A ''khwaeng'' (, ) is an administrative subdivision used in the fifty districts of Bangkok and a few other city municipalities in Thailand. Currently, there are 180 ''khwaeng'' in Bangkok. A ''khwaeng'' is roughly equivalent to a ''tambon'' in ot ...

'') in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai District of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

of Thailand. It has an area of . Some parts of the northern area are on the

Khlong Maha Nak Khlong Maha Nak (, ) is a ('canal') in Bangkok and considered one of Bangkok's oldest canals. It starts from Khlong Rop Krung (the old city moat) in the area of Mahakan Fort and Wat Saket's Golden Mount and continues to the east as far as ends a ...

canal. The west side borders the Samran Rat Sub-district of Phra Nakhon District.

History & toponymy

The name ''Ban Bat'' means "alms bowl community". Locals believe that their ancestors immigrated from

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

after its fall in 1767. In 1782, Phyra

Phutthayotfa Chulalok Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asce ...

(Rama I) established what is today's Bangkok. The refugees settled there, but the date of their migration is unclear. They were known for creating monk's alms bowls, which required handcrafting and manual labor. This tradition has lasted to the modern day. Locals have established the Ban Bat Community, a group that preserves the monk's alms bowl tradition and sells alms bowls to visitors as souvenirs. Additionally, in 1883, during the King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V)'s reign, it was recorded that the community in Ban Bat had a variety of occupations, one of which was the weaving of ''O'' (โอ, ), a type of container similar to a large bowl or cup, which was made of both lacquerware and woven materials. Ban Bat was also home to the house and band of Luang Pradit Pairoh, who was regarded as a master of

traditional Thai music The music of Thailand includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. Traditional Thai musical instruments are varied and reflect ancient influence from far afield – including the '' klong thap'' and ''khim'' (Persian o ...

Places

Another old community, Ban Dokmai, is nearby. It has a tradition of making fireworks ("firework" in Thai called ''dokmai fai'' (; ; literally 'flame flower'). Similar to the alms bowls of Ban Bat, this tradition may be lost. Other points of interest include the following: *

Wat Saket Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan (), usually shortened to Wat Saket, is a Buddhist temple (''wat'') in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya kingdom, Ayutthaya era, when it was known as Wat Sak ...

and Golden Mount * Maen Si Intersection * Sommot Amon Mak Bridge * Ban Dokmai Palace of Prince

Purachatra Jayakara Purachatra Jayakara, Prince of Kamphaengphet (; ; 23 January 1881 – 14 September 1936) was a Prince of Siam and a member of the Siamese Royal Family (later Thailand). He founded the House of Chatrajaya (), his descendants still use this royal ...

* Khlong Thom Moreover, the area around Wat Saket is also a large source of the shops that line a comprehensive range of wood products and handicraft. Currently, some of them have moved to settle in Bang Pho, Bang Sue District.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 13, 45, 3.49, N, 100, 30, 24.13, E, region:TH_type:landmark, display=title Pom Prap Sattru Phai district Neighbourhoods of Bangkok Subdistricts of Bangkok